This blog is dedicated to specific aspects of Amateur Radio, such as DXing, Contesting, Morse Code, Operating Techniques, Technological Innovations, Antenna improvements and performance, etc.
Plus news about my Radio station and my accomplishments. No particular policy on the posts, but no politics/religion/irrelevant posts will be tolerated. Respect this and be respected. 73 from Rhodes Island, Dodecanese.

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Monday, February 16, 2015

One of the most significant DXpeditions of our days has gone QRT on 15th Feb. 2015 at 1130z.K1N activated from Navassa Island, world's No.1 most wanted DXCC entity (that is, until recently!), has succeeded, to my humble opinion, in reaching the initial target set.Over 138k QSOs made, with 35702 unique and happy radio operators in the log!They worked stations from 187 different DXCC entities!An ATNO for many, including myself!From my part of the world, it was a pain in the neck trying to break the pileups. Especially when I had to battle with EU & NA walls at the same time. Bare in mind that Rhodes is at the southeasternmost point of EU, we are closer to Asia than any other EU station.K1N signals were particularly strong here on 15, 20, 30 and 40 meters, with some high outbursts on 12 and 80 meters on specific days, as per propagation factors.Managed to get them 8 times, on 5 bands and 3 modes, more than enough for me!

Navassa is unlikely to get activated again for at least another 10-12 years, as the K1N Team have announced, so it was a big pleasure working them this time.Congratulations to everybody involved in this DXpedition, it led to a success !!

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Everything is ready here for the K1N Navassa Island DXpedition starting in a few hours, by the KP1-5 Project DXPedition team.

It will be an ATNO for me, as for many others. Pileups are expected to be huge and constant. DX Battle on the roll ...

Upgraded my Inverted-L counterpoise system with the aid of a aluminum plate, where all my 58 radials connect solidly, have greased radial plate contacts and used an aluminum flat bar to connect all this to my antenna coupler.

The antenna coupler has been upgraded, in order to be able to handle double the power on the low bands (160 & 80).

K6TU supported with propagation predictions for Navassa, ranging from a very basic station setup up to the experienced DXer level setup.